Hilliard Davidson 2, Watterson 1

Thursday

Oct 30, 2008 at 12:01 AMOct 30, 2008 at 2:15 AM

It might not have been the most emphatic finish possible, but the Hilliard Davidson High School girls soccer team was able to hold off Watterson for a 2-1 win in a Division I regional semifinal at Upper Arlington last Wednesday.

The key for the Wildcats, however, was way they started this game. No one was happier to see that than Davidson coach Joe Divida, whose team had to overcome a sluggish first half Oct. 25 in a 2-1 overtime victory over Westerville North in a district final.

"We talked and tried to fix that (after last game), and we came out and played really well," Divida said. "And even through the end. You play a little bit more defensive, and you know you're going to give up some opportunities, but that's what you have to do."

Davidson, which moved to 16-1-3, will play at noon Saturday at Dublin Scioto in a regional final against Upper Arlington, which beat Dresden Tri-Valley 4-0 last Wednesday and is 18-1-1.

Davidson handed UA its only loss, winning 2-1 on Sept. 30.

Watterson, which ended the season 15-3-2, battered the Davidson defense over the final 15 minutes and finished with seven shots on goal and four corner kicks, but their only score came on a brilliant shot to the upper left corner of the goal by Kelly DeNiro with six minutes remaining.

"When you get to this point of the tournament, you've got to capitalize on their mistakes, and we didn't," Watterson coach Jason Crawford said. "We had, gosh, four, five or six opportunities. We hit a crossbar, had a breakaway. We just didn't finish."

The play was fairly even through most of the first half, but Davidson capitalized on one of its few chances as Paige Weber scored on a low shot just inside the left post with seven minutes left in the half.

Ten minutes into the second half, Davidson took a 2-0 lead when Weber took a cross from the left side from Brittany Cheese and put it into the right side of the goal.

Weber, who has five goals in the postseason, said the Wildcats knew a 2-0 lead wasn't safe.

"We expected (a rally by Watterson), but we were hoping to get a third goal," she said. "That would have really shut the door."

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